Intel, FTC begin antitrust settlement talks

As the Federal Trade Commission and Intel begin settlement talks over claims the chip maker violated antitrust rules, the company has until July 22 to find a compromise with the agency to prevent the case from going before an administrative law judge.

The FTC's lawsuit, filed in December, was headed to the administrative court in September and could have amounted to orders helping competitors.

At the FTC, its order to remove its lawsuit during settlement talks, allows commissioners and FTC chairman Jon Leibowitz to hear from the competition bureau, which is conducting settlement talks.

If talks break down, the case will go before the administrative law judge who will make a final determination if Intel unfairly used its market dominance to edge out competition through price fixing and other tactics.